Reading machine



April 2, 1929. lsK 1,707,351

READING MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 1926 INVENTOR.

A M b 44 BRADLEY A. FISKE,

STATES PATENT OFFICE,

on NEW YORK, N. Y.-

READING MACHINE.

Application filed December 16, 1926. Serial No. 155,125.

My invention relates to an improved reading machine of the general type disclosed by me in application for Letters Patent filed November 23, 1926, Serial No. 150,224. In the reading machine disclosed in said application I employ a. U-spring or its equivalent, one leg of which carries the lens and the other leg being adapted to be firmly pressed upon the book, sheet or card carrying the reading matter. With that device focussing was effected by applying a squeezing pressure between the two legs of the U-spring so as to properly adjust the lens with respect to the reading matter. As I'pointed out in said application, the device thereof was particularly designed for use with books of the type of telephone directories, city directories, dictionaries, etc. and with which a cursory examination of the printed page was only necessary, involving a relatively brief use of the reading machine.

The reading machine of my said application as I have indicated therein,'is not well 2' adapted for effective use with ordinary connected reading matter involving relatively long periods ofuse because the eifortof maintaining the lens constantly in focus involves fatigue. V

It is the principal object of the present in vention to provide a reading machine of the same general type'in which the operation of focussing may be readily performed without the necessity of first bringing a portion of the a reading matter into contact with the reading machine, and when once efiected, the proper focus of the lens will be maintained without physical efiort.

To this end the present invention comprises a reading machine consisting of a suitable handle adapted to be grasped by the right hand of the reader, said handle (through appropriate intermediate elements) carrying thelens. The latter is adjustable back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the handle toefiect focussing. This focussing adjustment of the lens is performed by means of an adjusting screw or similar dep vice.

Carried by the handle and as near as possible in the lane of the reading matter is a symbol suc as'a letter or character upon "which the lens niay be focussed. Specifically I prefer to locate the focussing symbol upon-a very thin plate of sheet metal at the forward end of the handle and within the field of the dens, the said plate or'strip being brought into contact with the reading matter in use, although other arrangements may be employed falling within the scope of my inveution.

By making the metal strip very thin, the. surface upon which the focussingsymbol is located will be substantially in the plane of the printed matter and therefore bylfocussing the lens with respect to. said symbol, the printed matter will be also in focus since the focus of the lens is relatively long, about two inches. Thus it becomes possibleto perform the focussing as a separate operation, independent of and apart from the reading matter and when the proper focus has been companying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved reading; machine, illustrating one form thereof. y

Figure 2 a view showing the end of the handle and illustrating the focussing strip with respect to which the lens may be focussed, showing also the field of said lens.

Figure 3 is a side view of a different form of the invention.

Figure 3 a cross-sectional View on the ,line' aa of Figure 3, and

Figure 4 a perspective view illustrating the mannerv of use of my improved reading machine. I

v In all of'the above views, corresponding parts are represented by the same numerals.

Referring first to Figure 1, the handle 1 is made of Wood or other material, being grasped by the right hand of the reader with its free end in firm contact with the printed page, sheet or card. Pivoted to the handle 1, between ears 2 is a tal arm 3 having a right angle bend 4 and till; other end of said bend carries a suitable lens 5. This lens as shown overhangs the free end of the handle 1 to ermit the reading matter to be obesrved. Mounted betweenthe handle 1 and the arm 3 is a spring 6 tending to swing the arm away from the handle. Thumb nut 7 engaging screw-8 moves the lens in the opposite direc tion in focussing. Obviously the reverse arrangement may be used, the spring tending to move the lens towards the handle, and thethumb screw moving it in the opposite direction.

as I

The extreme forward end of the handle 1 carries a very thin sheet metal strip 9 adapted to be brought into contact with the reading matter in use. As shown in Figure 2, this 5 strip carries upon its upper face, one or more symbols which lie within the field of the lens. in focussing the lens the thumb nut 7 is adjusted so as to bring the lens in focus with respect to the symbol or symbols 10.

i Qwing to the thinness of the metal strip 9, when the lens is focussed with respect to the symbol or symbols 10, it will be similarly in focus with respect to the printed matter with which the said strip engages. Thus it be- 1 comes possible to focus the lens independently andaway from the printed matter.

As suggested in Figure 2, the printed mat ter is of microscopic size as l have already describedin patents heretofore granted to me.

It will be understood, however, that the printed matter may be of normal size or less, the only requirement being that the lens shall be of the proper power to permit the printing to be easily read.

The formof device shown in Figures 3 and 3 is similar to that which has been disclosed.

"The handle 1 is provided with a very thin sheet-metalfocussing strip 9 as before. EX- tending perpendicularly to the plane of the handle is a metal guide 11 upon which a sleeve 12 is adapted to travel. This sleeve carries the lens 5 as shown. A spring 13 is fixed at one end to the handle 1 as shown and is connected at the other end to the sleeve 12 in any suitable way, such as by means of a pin 14 entering a hole in the spring. As inFigure 1, the spring maybe adjusted by means of a thumb nut 7 engaging screw 8.

When the lens has been properly adjusted as explained, the handle will be grasped by the right hand and the book, sheet or card carrying the printed matter will be brought by the left hand into contact with the bottom of the focu'ssing strip 9 as shown in Figure 4.

Reading will be effected by moving printed matter with respect to the lens by means of the left hand, this being at ver and comfortable way to operate the device.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein a T. csire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A reading machine, com nising in combination a support he. .ng an extremely thin portion and a lens moun cd thereon and adjustable with regard to sucn thin portion of said support, visible in the field of said lens so as to be brought into focus therewith, said thin portion of the support being adapted to be manually pressed into contact with the surface of a sheet carrying reading matter, whereby the lens will be automatically focused thereon, as and for the purpose sot fortl 2. A reading machine, comprising a support having an extremely thin portion, lens mounted thereon and adjustable, with respect to said thin portion, a symbol or reference mark on said thin portion visible in the field of the lens so as to be brought into focus therewith, the thin portion of said support being adapted to be manually pressed into contact with the surface of paper or other suitablc material carrying reading matter whereby the lens will be automatically focused there on, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A reading machine, comprising a flat support or handle, a thin metal focusing strip on the'end of said support or handle and a lens mounted on said support or handle and adjustable with respect to said focusing strip so as to be brought into focus therewith, said strip being within the field of the lens and being adapted to be manually pressed into contact with the surface of paper or other suitable material carrying reading matter whereby the lens will be automatically focused thereon, as and for the purpose set forth.

BRADLEY A. FISKE. 

